Deuteronomy 32-34
What I Noticed Today (Deuteronomy 32-34)
Deuteronomy 32
Moses opened Deuteronomy 32 with a song of instruction. He called for all of creation to listen (heavens and earth) but directed the song to the nation of Israel.
There are four main sections to the song:
1) The character of God (vv. 1-4),
2) The goodness of God to His people (vv. 5-14),
3) The faithfulness of God chastening His people (vv. 15-25), and
4) The vengeance of God (vv.26-43).
God is described as a Rock (v. 4) whose work is perfect; he is just, faithful, and without iniquity.
God is referred to as both Father and Creator in verse 6.
Note: It is unusual to have God described as either Father or Creator in the Old Testament, and this is the only instance where the two terms, Father and Creator, appear together in the OT.
God is described as savior (v. 15) of the rebellious nation.
God is described as the deliverer (v. 30).
Moses concludes his instruction to the people with an admonishment to remember what God had done for them and to teach and do His laws and commandments.
In verses 48-52, on that same day, the Lord told Moses to go up Mount Nebo, across from Jericho. Moses would be allowed to see the Promised Land but would not be allowed to enter it because he had broken faith with God at the waters of Meribah by failing to treat God as holy.
Deuteronomy 33
Deuteronomy 33 is a poem of blessing upon the individual tribes of Israel. Moses describes aspects of the tribe’s character and what the future holds for them.
Note: The tribe of Simeon is omitted from the list of tribes being blessed. Simeon was later absorbed by Judah (Joshua 19:1-9).
- Verses 2-5. Moses’ praise of the Lord.
- Verse 6. Reuben.
- Verse 7. Judah.
- Verses 8-11. Levi.
- Verse 12. Benjamin.
- Verses 13-17 Joseph.
- Verses 18-19. Zebulun and Issachar.
- Verses 20-21. Gad.
- Verse 22. Dan.
- Verse 23. Naphtali.
- Verses 24-25. Asher.
In verses 26-29, Moses’ final praise of God.
Deuteronomy 34
Following this blessing Moses went up to Mt. Nebo to Pisgah
Note: Pisgah is a ridge extending across the top of Mount Nebo. This is the same mountain as some of Balaam’s oracles (Numbers 23).
God showed him the entire Promised Land and confirmed His promise to give it to the people. Moses was 120 years old and still in good health when he died. God buried him in the valley in the land of Moab facing Beth-peor.
The entire nation wept and mourned for Moses for 30 days.
In verses 9-12, Joshua had the spirit of the Lord in him because Moses had laid hands on him. The Israelites obeyed Joshua and did as the Lord commanded Moses.
Some thoughts for further consideration:
- God is indeed our Rock. Faithful and just, God is our Father and Creator. He is our savior and our deliverer! We would do well today to remember these simple truths, and as Moses commanded the Israelites, we must teach these truths to our children!
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
All the notes for the book of Deuteronomy have been compiled into a single pdf document. You can download it by clicking here.
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Tomorrow: Joshua 1-3